Pope Francis Condemns Israeli Airstrikes, Says Bombing Children in Gaza ‘Is Not War, It’s Cruelty’
Pope Francis on Saturday condemned Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, describing the bombing of children as “cruelty, not war.” The remarks came during his annual Christmas address to Catholic cardinals at the Vatican, a day after an Israeli minister criticized him for earlier comments regarding the Gaza conflict.
“Yesterday, children were bombed,” Francis said, referencing Israeli airstrikes on Friday that reportedly killed at least 25 Palestinians. “This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to say this because it touches the heart,” the pontiff stated.
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The pope, who generally refrains from taking sides in global conflicts, has recently taken a stronger stance on Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Last month, he suggested that international experts examine whether the campaign in Gaza has characteristics of genocide.
Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli responded with sharp criticism in an open letter published Friday, accusing the pope of trivializing the term “genocide.”
On Saturday, Francis also revealed that the Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem had been denied entry to Gaza, where he intended to visit local Catholics. The patriarch’s office declined to comment on the pope’s statement, and Israeli officials did not immediately respond due to the Jewish Sabbath.
